Tommee Tippee Freedom Breast Pump review
3.5
In a nutshell
Manual breast pump with some nice design features but a few design flaws too.
What we tested
- Ease of use
3.0
A star rating of 3.0 out of 5. - Comfort
2.0
A star rating of 2.0 out of 5. - Ease of cleaning
3.0
A star rating of 3.0 out of 5. - Design
4.0
A star rating of 4.0 out of 5. - Durability
4.0
A star rating of 4.0 out of 5. - Worth the money
5.0
A star rating of 5.0 out of 5.
3.5
Pros
- Inexpesnive, very quiet, not too hard on the hand
Cons
- Pump mechanism can become detached, can squash nipple
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The Tommee Tippee Freedom Breast Pump claims to be easy to use, effective and comfortable, and in most parts it’s successful.
The Freedom forms part of the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature range, which is a great package, but while the pump has some clever little design features there are a few design flaws too. The package comes complete with bottles, sterilizer and breast pads and is undeniably good value for money. With just three pieces to put together, the Freedom is not difficult to wash or assemble and the flexible, rippled cup does mould to the shape of your breast for added comfort.
What we love
I bought this pump as an alternative to a basic electric pump to use in the night to avoid unsettling my baby. The pump’s inexpensive at £25 and very simple to put together and use. As hoped it’s also almost silent unlike many noisy electric pumps which you can barely hear the TV over.
It’s also not too hard on the hand (although I must admit to a little RSI cramping the day after using it the first time).The pump mechanism is strong and if you pull and hold for a few seconds you can get a lot of milk out in a short time when you’re letting down.
The large white breast shield (or rather orangey white since it went in the dishwasher with a Bolognese pan – watch out for that!) is quite discrete and comfortable. I think my partner appreciates the fact that as I sit at the breakfast table pumping with one hand while Noah feeds on the other breast, he doesn’t have to watch my nipple getting stretched in and out.
What to watch out for
In the early days after putting it together I found the top of the pump mechanism sometimes came detached from the plastic structure of the pump. If you’ve just got everything ready – baby on one boob, pump in the other hand, this is a nightmare. Putting it back on is a two handed effort which requires baby detaching, lots of yelling and milk squirting/wasting. As I’ve become a pro, this has hardly happens any more so perhaps I was doing something wrong.
I also find the length of the tube your nipple gets pulled into a little short. I looked online at other reviews to check I don’t just have odd shaped nipples, and discovered there are quite a few complaints of nipples being squashed against the grille at the end. If I’m only pumping for 10 minutes, or the let down is quick I don’t find this a problem. But if I’m having a less successful pumping session, having my nipple hit the end of the tube repeatedly can be quite painful. I’ve used a lot of breast pumps and haven’t encountered this problem before.
Who is the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Freedom Breast Pump best for?
Mums who express occasionally or who want to buy a pump before the birth but don’t want to spend too much.
MadeForMums verdict
Effective pump, good value for money with some nice design features – the tube your nipple gets pulled into just needs to be a bit longer to prevent the possibility of nipple discomfort.
Authors
Product Specifications
| Product | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Tommee Tippee |
| Model | Freedom Breast Pump |
| Price | £24.99 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Bottle type | Narrow neck and wide neck |
| Component parts (excluding bottle) | 3 |